There is an entire generation growing up who can’t even imagine a world without smartphones and social networking. Only a decade ago social media was not more than an emerging trend. Today, however, social media has become an essential part of almost everyone’s daily life. Now 76% of internet-using Americans are on social media, which shows how increasingly important social media is to people. It has affected how people get and share news.
Social Media Changed the Way Millennials Consume News
With the rise of social media news and information of any kind, is available immediately all day, everyday and on every device. Social media is the go-to source for breaking news. Most recent figures estimate there are around 3 billion internet users. A stunning 86% of social media users say they use Twitter for breaking news as opposed to traditional media, according to a survey conducted by the American Press Institute and Twitter in collaboration with research company DB5.
For millennials, social networks are an extraordinarily important part of their digital lives, because those social networks have become much more than a way to connect about personal matters. They use it for almost anything now.
With 2 billion potential sharers of this breaking news, there is a high chance one hears about the breaking news in a social feed, too. People now have access to the latest news from any country in the world. When, for example, a crisis hits, people turn to social media to find out what’s happening. Thanks to online news, more breaking news is available than ever before. And thanks to social media, reports on current events are delivered as they happen—sometimes even before news organizations have a chance to report it.
Facebook as the dominant platform for news and information
In order to reach a millennial audience, focus on Facebook, says another survey conducted by the American Press Institute. Social media play a crucial role in the digital lives of millennials. With 83%, YouTube (with their video content) is a solid runner up for news gathering among millennials. Twitter, surprisingly, comes out on 5th place, where Twitter for the older demographic is the number 1 news source as mentioned before. Overall, it’s safe to say that publishers need to be where their audience is, on social media, and need to provide that audience with engaging content.
Building and Engaging Your Online Community with Snapchat
According to ComScore, Snapchat is the third most popular social app among millennials. With a 32.9% penetration on the demographic’s mobile phones, only Instagram (43.1%) and Facebook (75.6%) are more popular (now), Snapchat is gaining stream. This data shows that the app is more popular than Twitter, Pinterest, Vine, Google+ or Tumblr among those aged 18 to 34.
The Wall Street Journal just recently announced teaming up with Snapchat, as the first American newspaper to get a spot on ‘Discover’. “We’re obviously looking at this as a platform where we can explore delivering news to a new audience,” said WSJ’s Carla Zanoni, as reported by Re/code. “The [Snapchat users] who are really aspirational and entrepreneurial are our next CEOs. They’re the folks who will have a very long-lasting relationship with the Journal, and we’re looking to meet them where they live today.”
In a world where social media are changing the media landscape it is harder than ever before to engage your (millennial) audience. Online publishers need to move quickly in the direction of where their audiences are. Snapchat is among others, a platform to keep a close eye on.
But how to engage your audience on social media? By incorporating social media alongside your editorial content you are able to increase engagement and make your brand more valuable and more likely to survive and thrive in this changing media landscape.
Related articles:
- How Millennials’ Social Media Habits Will Change in 2017
- Digital Publishing in 2017: the Role of Distribution Platforms, Mobile, Video and Ad Blocking
- How Social Media is Changing the Landscape for Online Publishers
- 5 Effects of Social Media on Digital Publishing
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